Moving votive candle display holders



l 'May 2s, 1957 E. F. MODERMOTT MOVING VOTIVE CANDLE DISPLAY HOLDERS Filed June 24,l 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet l Allyn-dudu May 28, 1957 4 E. F, McDERMoTT MOVING voTIvE CANDLE DISPLAY HOLDERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1955 .HT T01? NE Y,

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- May 28,1957 E. F. MGDERMOTTY 2,793,516

MOVING VOTIVE `CANDLE VDISPLAY HOLDERS Filed June 24. 1955 45mm-sheet 4 1N VENTO R.

United Sees Patent@ MOVING vo'rlvn CANDLE DISPLAYHQLDERS Edward Francis McDermott, Richmond Hill, N. Y. Application Jun 24, 195s," sriaifrlo. 517,693

` z claims. (cl. s1- 25) This invention relates to votive candle display holders, and the main object is the provision of a device having means for simultaneously burning a very large number of candles, with the candles traveling upward along a ramp or incline at a very slow speed, in relatively wide rows, with newly lighted candles starting at the bottom of the ramp, the timing of travel of the candles being such `that by the time they rreach the `top of the ramp they will have burned out.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means, in connection with the device, for discharging burnt out candles from the upper end ofthe ramp, into,

say, a hopper, whence they may be easily disposedof The present device` permits of a considerable saving in space which is otherwise necessary for the accommodation of votive candles in, for instance, churches, as the device can accommodate a very large number of candles in `a small floor space.

The above` broad as well as additional and more speciiic objectswill be clariiied in the following description wherein reference` numerals refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the drawings are intended solely for the purpose of illustration `and that it is therefore `neithertdesired nor intended to limit` the inventionnecessarily to any or all of the exact details `of construction shownor described 2,793,516 Patented May 28, 1957 19 and 20 have sprocket gears 21 on their ends, about which sprocket chains 22 are trained. 0n the base 23 ofthe frame, an electric motor 24 is mounted, which, through a series of speed reduction pulleys and belts,

`not specifically described herein, terminating in a belt 25 driving a pulley 26 on the shaft 20, drives the chains 22.

The chains 22 are of standard construction, and comprise links 27 pivoted endto-end on pivots 28. Every third pivot 28 is utilized to mount the transverse candle holder support slats 29 on the chains. This is done by securing a lug 30 against the underside of each slat 29 at each end thereof, and substituting an. equivalent pin 28a for the pin 28. Thus, as the chains travel in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, the slats 29 are carried upward, in the fashion of a moving ramp, up the slope of the frame.

`Elongated plates 31 are secured, as: by means of screws 32, against the sidewalls 13 of the frame, each `between a vertical plane through the adjacent chain 22 and the side Wall. Spaced transverse bars 33, of which Jthree are shown in Fig. 1, extend between the plates 31 and have their extremities secured, by any means, not shown, to the plates. Supported on the bars 33 in spaced 'relationship are longitudinal rails 34, of which four are showniri Fig. 2, each rail comprising a beam 35 sur- `mounted by a `cylindrical rod 36, the latter being fixed on the, device, may be provided in sections 37a, 37b, 37e

except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the@ invention.

Referring briey to.` the drawing, Fig. l is a votive candle display device embodying the features of the present invention. L Fig. 2 is a plan view `of `the same.`

Fig. 3 is ta sectional view taken `onthe line `33 of Fig.,2.'

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view through one of the candle holder support slats, showing a modified construction of the holder.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the device, with the candle holders omitted.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the candle holder support slats, per se.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 1lb-10 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective View, partly broken away and partly in section, through one of the candle holder support slats, showing one of the spaced triangular blocks secured thereto, whereby the slats are positioned horizontally while travelling up the ramp.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the frame of the device, which comprises a low front wall 11, a higher rear wall 12, and sloping side walls 13. The top of the frame is open, except for etc. in a common plane, with the side edges of the sections secured` to the sides of the beams 35 by any suitable means, not` shown.

. The rotatable shafts 19 and 2i) are mounted in the ends `of `the plates 31 and, through the medium of the latter, are secured to the frame 10. At its lower end, each"plate`31 has `a cut-out 38 in which a block 39 is slidably mounted, in which block the shaft 19 is rotatable.` `Bry means of a-chaintension adjusting means shown 'only generically at 40, and which is common and of standard construction for the purpose of tightening chains after they have been loosened by use, the block 39 and with it the shaft 19 may be moved outward in the cutout 38, to tighten the chain. Since this adjusting means is not pertinent to the invention it will not be described in further detail.

The manner of pivotally supporting the slats 29 on the chain, as mentioned above, is illustrated in Fig. 6. An angle 41 is secured under the end of the slat, and an elongated pin 28a is substituted for the pin 28 of the chain and passed through an opening in the lug 3i) which constitutes the vertical flange of the angle 41. The stem or pin 28a has its extremity threaded, and by means of two nuts 42 the pin is locked in the lug but is free to rotate.

At spaced intervals, equivalent to the spacing of the rails 34, the underside of each slat 29 has attached thereto a rider, substantially right-triangular in outline, shown at 43, whose bottom surface 44 slopes at the same angle with respect to the slat as the top edges of the side walls 13 of the frame. along the ramp by the chains 22, the slats are positioned horizontal.

At closely spaced intervals along each slat 29, glass Thus, as the slats are carried upward the slat and releasably setting thecups 45. therein, as f shown in Fig. 7.

At the lower end of Veach rail 34a1roller 48 isV rigid on the shaft 19, and at the upper end of eachrail 34 a similar roller 49. is rigid on the` shaft 20. f The lower A extremity of the rod 36 is deformed toward the shaft, as

shown in Fig. 5. As the slats 29, with their cups 45rise while the roller is turning clockwise,`the riders 43 ride up the lower extremity 36a of therodt36 onto the rod.

- In the plane of each pair of rollers 48 and 49, a de-` the lower side of the chain 22 but, of course, spaced transversely from the plane throughv the chain. The spacing of the portion 53 of the guide below the plane through the pivots 28 of this side of the chain is such that, as the slats hang freely from their pivots 28a their edges rest on the portion 53 and thus the candle holders 4S are maintained in upsidedown position and prevented from swinging, with the slats. The upper end of the guide, beyond the portion 53, curves substantially concentric with the shaft 20 except for the upper right-hand quadrant 54, which bulges outward to permit the slats 29, as they pass over the top of the ramp, to swing freely yet not to fall suddenly into the position shown, for example, by the slat 29a, Fig. 3. The upper turned-back extremity 54a of the guide is so spaced from the top side of the chain that the slat 29 will just pass thereunder. The lower extremity 55 of the guide is concentric with the shaft 19 and terminates adjacent the upper left-hand quadrant of the shaft 19. v

It is now apparent that, as the chains carry the slats clockwise, Fig. 3, the slats and their cups are carried up the ramp so that the cups are upright. In use, as the slats travel upward at a very slow speed, i. e., six feet in fifteen minutes, candles 56 may readily be inserted into p this guide isstraight and parallel with and spaced below t relatively low front wall and a relatively high rear wall and having side walls whose upper edges slope upward at an angle between the front and rear walls, a transverse shaft rotatably mounted in the frame near said front wall, a second transverse shaft rotatably mounted in the frame near the upper edge of said rear wall, spaced toothed wheels on saidpshafts near the sides of the frame, sprocket chains trainedl about the wheels near each side of the frame and having the upper and lower sides thereof sloping at said angle, means for rotating one of said shafts for moving said Vchains in a direction to move the upper side of the chain upward from said front Wall, spaced transverse slats pivotally mounted on said chain, spaced longitudinal rails in said frame sloping at said angle and positioned in a common plane below the plane of the upper side of the chain, said slats having riders on the undersides thereof riding on said rails, the lower .edges of said riders sloping atsaid angle with respect to ,the slats whence said slats are positioned horizontal on said upper side of the chain, said slats being adapted to have candles mounted in spaced relationship thereon, said first-named shaft having a roller thereon in substantially the same vertical plane as each of said rails, said rollers having a diameter substantially equal to the maximum diameter of said wheels on said first-named shaft whence said slats ride over said rollers in rounding the lower end of their travel with said chains, said rails extending substantially tangentially to said rollers, the lower ends of said rails having downwardly deformed extremities providing means for said riders to ride up thereon onto said rails.

2. The device set forth n claim l, having a number i of guides not exceeding the number of said chains, each of said guides comprising a track lying approximately in the 35 vertical plane of one of said chains, said track having a substantially straight intermediate portion positioned below and parallel with the underside of the chain and v having curved end portions spaced radially outward from the wheels about which the chain is trained, the spacing of said trackoutward from the path of travel of the axes on which the slats are pivoted to the chain being less than the width of the slats, said slats riding between the lowermost cups as they appear at the bottomof rods 36 are made cylindrical to reduce friction between them and the riders 43 which ride up the rods.

I claim: 1. A device comprising an upright frame having a said track and said chain, the free edges of the slats opposite said axes being supported on and riding frictionally on said track.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,802,928 Rowe Apr. 28, 1931 2,376,495 Law May 22, 1945 2,659,564 Gibson Nov. 17, 1953 

